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How do I know if I using my woodstove or fireplace correctly?

Your woodstove, fireplace, or barbecue must be used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Also, the amount of smoke produces by these devices must be minimized. The smoke coming out of your chimney should be almost colorless and thin. Thick, white or black smoke indicates that your fire is not receiving enough air. Woodstoves, fireplaces, and barbecues should be used in such a way as to minimize the impact on neighbors. Here are some additional tips:

• Burn only dry fuel. Moist wood gives off more smoke and may produce up to 44% less heat. Ideally, burn wood that has been split and dried for one year.
• Never burn painted, stained or treated wood, colored newsprint, plastic, cardboard, garbage, diapers or magazines.
• Twenty minutes after starting your fire, check your chimney for smoke. If you see any smoke, it probably exceeds the legal limit. Increase air to the fire for cleaner burning.
• Burn small hot fires and allow plenty of air to reach the fire. Avoid excessive dampening to extend the duration of the burn, see The Myth of Air-Starved Burning below.
• Never allow the fire to smolder. Smoldering fires pollute, are inefficient and are a fire hazard.

The Myth of Air-Starved Burning, by D. A. Lauer

One myth, which is perhaps the most damaging to air quality and potentially damaging to health and safety, is that there are benefits to starving a wood stove for adequate combustion of air. A fire starved for air is excessively smoky because of incomplete combustion and therefore produces more unburned particulates and gaseous air pollutants than a hot fire with adequate air. Poor combustion also promotes the buildup of creosote in chimneys posing a fire hazard. Carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion can also buildup inside houses posing a direct threat of death by asphyxiation.

This myth had its origin in the 1970's energy crisis when the popularity of wood stoves increased. Many poorly designed stoves have been marketed that are not air-tight and otherwise have poor combustion air controls. Manufacturers may have recommended, or owners may have discovered, the technique of severely restricting air flow to compensate for poor design. In addition, marginal economics and high labor requirements of wood burning have made conservation of wood a priority, which makes reducing wood consumption yet another excuse for starving wood stove fires for air.

Burning of uncured wood with moisture contents over 20% compounds the problems of poor combustion from air-starved fires by promoting even greater production of air pollutants and creosote. Burning high moisture wood decreases the usable energy from the wood because heat from burning is diverted into evaporating the water rather than heating the air as desired.